Arnold Schwarzenegger made a Tuesday appearance on The View and it didn’t go the way Whoopi Goldberg and the other hosts seemed to be expecting. The former California governor and action movie icon gave a forceful defense of legal immigration, responsibility, and the role of law enforcement while calling out both political parties for using the border crisis as a fundraising prop.
Arnold Schwarzenegger sits with the cast of The View – YouTube, The View
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Arnold Schwarzenegger was appearing on The View to promote his Netflix series FUBAR, but the hosts immediately dove right into politics.
The conversation took a sharp turn when Schwarzenegger, himself an immigrant from Austria, was asked about the National Guard’s presence in Los Angeles and whether ICE operations should continue. Rather than condemn immigration enforcement the way Whoopi Goldberg and the other hosts on The View seemed to want, Schwarzenegger flipped the script.
“When you come to America, you’re a guest, and you have to behave like a guest,” he said. “Like when I go to someone’s house and I’m a guest, then I will do everything I can to keep things clean and to make my bed and do everything that is the right thing to do rather than committing a crime or being abusive or something like that, so that doesn’t really work in this country.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joy Behar on The View – YouTube, The View
The actor, who served as California’s Republican governor from 2003 to 2011, emphasized that immigrants have a duty to respect the country they enter and should strive to contribute positively to their communities.
“You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America,” he added. “Give something back to after-school programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is—make this a better place.”
A Tense Exchange Between Arnold and The View Hosts
The tone in the studio shifted as the co-hosts tried to steer the conversation back toward left-leaning talking points.
Whoopi Goldberg argued that “90% of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing.” Sunny Hostin chimed in with the oft-cited line that “immigrants are less likely to commit crimes in this country than actual American-born citizens.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger on The View with Sunny Hostin – YouTube, The View
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But Schwarzenegger didn’t budge.
Instead, he pivoted to a larger issue—the failure of Congress to pass meaningful immigration reform. While stopping short of endorsing harsh measures, he called out both Democrats and Republicans for their inaction.
“For decades now, this country has needed immigration reform, which means we recognize the fact there’s people in the south of America that want to come north to work, and we should supply them with enough visas to come because we need those workers,” Arnold said. “Then we’d know who is here, we’d be able to get rid of the criminal elements that are here, all this stuff so we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in right now.
“All of this is happening because we don’t have immigration reform. Democrats and Republicans have to come together to solve this issue if they really want to be public servants. If they want to be party servants, and be party hacks, and be tied to their ideology, then it won’t happen.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger on The View – YouTube, The View
This echoes comments the former governor made recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Democrats and the Republicans — both of the parties — have no interest in solving this problem because they use that to raise money,” he said. “So what they do is they just keep pointing the finger at each other, and then they’re surprised if all of a sudden we are using our middle finger on them.”
In an era when celebrity interviews on The View often turn into ideological echo chambers, Schwarzenegger’s bluntness stood out. He didn’t toe a partisan line—he torched them both.
Final Thoughts
For a man known for blockbusters and barbells, Schwarzenegger continues to be one of the few public figures from Hollywood willing to speak plainly about national issues.
Sunny Hostin issuing a legal notice on The View – YouTube, Page Six
Whether viewers agreed with him or not, his message was clear: immigration is a privilege, not a loophole—and America deserves better than political gamesmanship.
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